The Bigger than Small Surprises
by AmeliaJasmine
Summary: "Miss, I will need you to let me in." "No." Came the firm yet frightened reply of the undoubtedly spooked woman who stood on the other side of the door. "Miss, please. I only want to help." I knew full well that the woman's name was Bella, but she needn't know that. It would frighten her even more. "No." A broken sob. "You'll take my baby. And I don't want him taken away."
1. Chapter 1

**All the recognizable characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, the rest of the characters and the plot belongs to me. **

**Prologue**

Walking into my house, I promptly close the front door in an attempt to keep the bitter wind and rain away. I have no luck. The cold gust blows into my hallway and right through into my little kitchen, killing any hope o f settling cozily with a cuppa. I sigh.

Not bothering to take off my coat I walk into the utility room and turn on the boiler to heat up the house. So much for saving the non-renewable resources. It's bloody impossible in this climate.

Rubbing my hands together to warm them, I walk back into the hallway to grab the mail and newspapers which I hadn't the time to pick up in the morning. This in hand, I go to the kitchen to make myself some tea.

I sip my brew as I scan the paper with my eyes, almost immediately flipping over to the advertising section, hoping to find some offers on cars. I really need a fucking car. I hate taking the bus to work in this weather...

Hmm, offers on furniture, books and all the other stuff which I don't need. I flip the page over, hoping that the next side will be car adverts.

The next page is not about cars. What I find instead makes me choke on my tea. There, right bang in the middle of the page is an advert which states;

*A 14-MONTH-OLD BABY, FREE TO A GOOD HOME.*with contact details underneath.

Is this shit for real? Or is it just a sick kind of joke? I hope it's the latter, although my gut instinct is telling me that this is no joke... Is this even legal? I'm sure not. Doesn't this fit under some sort of human trafficking act? Probably. Besides, what kind of mother-presuming that it is the mother of the child posting this advert-would even _think _about doing this to her child? Or is this the whole point; get the brat off of her hands, any way necessary? I feel sick.

This needs to be investigated. Digging in my bag for a moment, I find my phone and dial.

"_Hello?" _

God, my palms are sweating and a cold shiver is running down my back. I clench my hands into fists as I take a deep breath to speak.

"Hey, Edward, this is Rosalie. I think that there's something that you need to check out..."

**Hello, readers,**

**So, this is the prologue to a new story which I want to write... even though there are three other stories which I have started and which I probably need to finish... But this is the plot which I just ****_had _****to write down. It's based on something that my mother told me, which is apparently a really story, about a woman who had written an advert for her baby, and I will be adapting this here. I hope you like. If you did, please, please review. For my other stories, the main reasons I have stopped writing is because there had been little to no reviews and that just really discouraged me. Well, that and the lack of free time. But it really doesn't take much effort to write a short comment. **

**Also, I have a lot of trouble with plots, grammar, and the general story management when writing. Maybe my standards are already too high for this story, but it would be greatly appreciated someone could Beta this for me, to make it better. **

**And I need suggestions on a better title:/**

**The first chapter I will try to write in the next few days but I make no promises. I hoped you liked this. **

**Thanks, **

**AmeliaJasmine**


	2. Chapter 2

**Recognisable characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, all else belongs to me. **

**Chapter 1**

The sound of my phone's vibrations rouses me from my half-asleep state. I take a brief look around me, noticing the muted people on the TV, the last-nights takeaways on the floor by the couch and the general mess which seems to gravitate towards me. The curtains are not drawn on the windows but the room is bathed in only the light of the TV. It isn't morning yet. So who's calling? Rubbing my eyes, I locate my phone planning on shooting down whoever it is that dares to interrupt my free time.

My day at work has been particularly difficult. One of the kids who I was mentoring has run away from his care home, the third time he tried in the last few weeks. Apart from having to locate him—which pretty much erased the whole schedule of my day—there was a lot of paperwork to do afterwards. Not to mention the process of relocation. I was pretty annoyed with him, but I wasn't stupid. If he was that determined to leave, then something had to be a matter. This brought on the whole investigation procedure... and then I still had to make it to all my rescheduled appointments, which left me quite pissed off, to be perfectly honest. As a care-worker, life isn't always easy. Right now is one of these not-easy moments; but knowing it doesn't make it any easier and I'm not in the mood for a phone conversation.

But, of course, with my luck, it's Rose calling, and if I don't answer then she'll probably come round, and that's something I would much rather avoid... so I sigh and press the accept icon on the screen.

"Hello?" God I sound awful. My voice sounds husky from speaking for the first time in a few hours. I cringe and clear my throat as Rose speaks.

"_Hey, Edward, it's Rosalie. I think there's something you need to check out—"_

"I know it's you, Rose, I have a caller ID." I interrupt. It's a bad move, in hindsight.

_ "I know that you know, smartass. Just listen. I just found this advert in a newspaper, and it's really worrying me—" _she woke me up because... unbelievable.

"You woke me up because you have some suspicions about a piece of advertised furniture?!" The volume of my voice is steadily increasing as I try to rein in my anger. It's just like Rose to do something like this, just to annoy me.

"_No! That's why I need you to investigate something. There's this one advert, about a baby..." _

I wait for her to finish the sentence, but for once she is silent.

"Well, a baby what? A baby turtle, baby piano, I don't know..."

She huffs at the end of the phone. This conversation is getting nowhere, as far as I can see.

_"No, Edward, pay attention, just for once in your life. There is an ad, which says... um, wait, let me read it... it says, 'A fourteen month old baby free to a good home.' So like, a human baby. There's nothing else. And I think this is for real. I have the address for it, can you go there and sort it out?" _

Immediately, I am wide away. Fuck, this is serious. Illegal. Who would even print this ad?

"Rose, you need to call the police. They need to sort it out." This is serious. Dead serious.

"_Thanks Sherlock, I wouldn't have thought about that. I want to kick the woman's ass before they take her away or something. And maybe take the baby. The police wouldn't let me do that." _

"Neither can I, Rosalie. I'm sorry."

And yet, half an hour later I find myself in front of a block of small, dirty flats, waiting for Rose to arrive. This is the bad part of town. It's dark, it's smelly and I have the constant feeling of being watched. Every time someone passes by I turn and observe them, making sure they haven't a knife or anything like that. I don't need to feel bad about my immediate assumptions anyway; most of the passerby's are hooded teens, some smoking, others glaring at me openly as they pass me on their way to some dark alley or another. Each time it makes me frown. I understand that some people have no choice but live this lifestyle, but this is no environment for a mother with a small child.

Once Rose arrives, we might have to contact the police forces anyways.

I'm beginning to think that this is a really bad idea. I don't think that I'm doing anything wrong where the law is concerned, I'm not on duty, but it might still be a bad idea to do this alone. Besides, is it a good idea to call on someone at this time of the night?

Then again, I'm curious. When I picked the newspaper Rose mentioned from a local kiosk, I found exactly the information that Rose had given me. It doesn't sound like a joke—it sounds like desperation.

Rose arrives, swearing as she comes closer. Apparently, something about the public transport really isn't to her tastes...

She stops her monologue when she sees me, instead taking a look around.

"OMG, would you look at this place. Some people actually live like this. How do they manage to stay sane? I'd go mad."

As far as I knew, Rosalie came from a good background. I only knew as much as my brother told me, but he did mention that she came from the upper end of the middle class, privately educated and then a graduate of Oxford. This was probably the first time she same so close to the town's slums. I wonder if my reaction was the same when I first started on the job and had to visit one of these areas.

"Oh, Ed, you made it. Good. I checked the address before we came, and according to the yellow pages, the person living here is called...um..." she looks at her hand where there is something scribbled in a blue pen. "'Bella Swan'. There isn't much info on her. No Facebook, no Twitter account. Now, her flat is number 18, so I guess we take these stairs..."

Rose slips a few times on the moss on the unkempt staircase, what with the high heeled boots that she's wearing making it difficult to walk even on a flat surface. After two flights of stairs, we find the flat which we're looking for.

Tentively, I knock.

There is a few seconds of silence before I can hear a flutter of activity on the other side.

"Who is this?" Asks a young female voice asks, just loudly enough for me to hear.

"Miss, my name is Edward Cullen. I'm a social worker and I'm—ow!" I exclaim as Rosalie steps on my foot, hard. I look at her and she's running her hand across her neck, her eyes throwing daggers. What does she want? I glare at her, before turning my attention back to the closed door. "Miss, I'm here to help you. Could you open the door for me?"

"Sorry, no." Came the firm reply, and yet I could hear something of a sob in that voice as well. The sound of retreating footsteps could be heard.

"No, miss, wait!"I called. Shit, there is a child in that flat, and I need to get to him. "Miss?" no reply. Despaired, I take out my wallet. "Look, here's a twenty pound bill, for you to get something for yourself or your child. It's yours to keep, just as long as you let me in." Still no reply.

"I'm going to slip the money under the door, okay?" As I'm sliding the bill across, someone grabs it from the other side and pulls. It scares the shit out of me and I quickly draw back my hand. God, this speaks of desperation.

"Can you open the door now, please?"

"No." Well, at least I got a reply. As I speak I try to keep my voice persuasive but authoritive. I'm not sure if it works.

"Miss, I will need you to let me in."

"No." Comes the firm yet frightened reply of the undoubtedly spooked woman who stands on the other side of the door.

"Miss, please. I only want to help." I know full well that the woman's name is Bella, but she needn't know that. It would frighten her even more.

"No." A broken sob. "You'll take my baby. And I don't want him taken away."

Aw, how to deal with this?

Rose, who had been quietly helpful over the last few minutes finally decides to speak up.

"Look, lady. You either let us in, or give back the money. Which will it be?"

"who are you?! And I'm sorry, but I can't do either of those things."

I stop Rose as she opens her mouth again.

"Why? Why can't you give back the money?"

"Because I need it. Mason needs it."

I'm about to ask who Mason is but Rosalie doesn't give me a chance, pounding on the door as she shouts "Just freaking let us in!" She stops almost immediately though, when there's a baby's cry coming from further away. Her fist freezes mid-air.

"Now you woke him up. Here's your money, just go." My bill reappears but I make no move to retrieve it. I look to Rosalie for guidance. Maybe she should sort this one out.

She tires.

"Look, I'm sorry. We only want to help. I saw the ad you posted in the news, and I just thought…. Well, I just thought that maybe you really needed some financial help. That's all we're here for. So please, just let us in. If not for your sake, then for the sake of your baby."

"You promise that you won't take Masen from me?"

"Promise."

I'm skeptic that this will change this Bella Swan's mind, so I'm surprised when the door opens and a young woman appears: skinny, bruised, and holding a small crying baby in her arms.

**Hiya. **

**So, I got this chapter down today, because I was really impressed by the amount of people who took interest. It might be nothing compared to what some of the other authors get, but I'm still ecstatic about it. And I got three reviews as well! **

**There is still the issue of the title. It's so bad it's embarrassing, but I can't really think of anything better. Please, some suggestions would be most welcome. **

**Also, the beta thing. I tried to find a beta myself, but I seriously don't know where to start looking... if one of you could beta this for me, or perhaps you know a beta who will be willing to help, please let me know. Sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes.**

**I don't know when I'll post the next chapter, probably sometime this week because I'm on the roll, but we'll see:) **

**Review, review, review. It will keep me writing, I promise.**

**See you all soon, **

**AmeliaJasmine**


	3. Chapter 3

As I look behind Bella, I can see nothing but the outlines of furniture. It's dark outside and it seems to be even darker inside the apartment, what with all the lights turned off. Even so, I can see that the flat is as well kept as could be, no rubbish on the floor and no cobwebs hanging from the ceiling like I have expected. That's the way it usually is for the cases I work with in this neighbourhood.

I focus my eyes back on the girl before me and instantly feel bad for overlooking her in the first place. She is small, maybe five-foot five, and skinny, practically skin and bones. Her cheekbones are so protruding it's scary. Her hair and eyes are a singular shade of brown, contrasting sharply with her pale, pale face. She's dressed in some old sweat pants and a ripped tee which hide her figure but if her face is anything to go by, she is twig-thin. One of her eyes is bruised, and bruising looks fresh, as though it had been put there only hours ago. There is a split lip to go with it, too. Straight away I tense, worried that in the dark flat somewhere, there might be someone who poses a threat to her or to Rose. Shit! We should have come here with back up. This was a bad idea.

But then I look at the crying baby, moving in the girl's arms, and I can't bring myself to regret the decision. She needs help, although I don't quite know yet what sort of help she needs.

I look at Rose, trying to judge her reaction to all this. She seems completely oblivious to her surroundings though, her eyes fixed singularly on the despaired toddler. I follow her line of sight and in response to our staring, the girl brings the baby closer to her, hugging him tightly.

"You promised not to take him away."

Neither Rose nor I reply to that. Rose looks too stunned to speak and as for me, I just dislike lying to people. This was no environment... Someone should be contacted from the agency...

The woman whimpers and retreats, preparing to close the door again. Why is she so scared?

"Bella wait! Is this Mason?" Rosalie asks.

What a random thing to say. I'm puzzled by her intentions.

Bella looks frightened, but resigned. Somehow, Rose made her stop in her tracks yet again. How?

"So you already know my name. And now you're going to take my baby away. Before you do, I'd just like to say that—"

"Why do you think that we'll take your son away from you?" I ask, because it really is strange that she keeps saying it.

"You're not, then?" she seems as puzzled with me as I am with her.

"Ed, you told her as much yourself. Only you could be stupid enough to introduce yourself as the care worker."

Shit, Rose is right. I did do that. No wonder the woman's response.

"No, no, you got it all wrong." I jump to apologise as soon as I understand the confusion. "I was merely saying that... Well, we just wanted to investigate, Rose and I. It isn't everyday that your sort of advert appears in the local newspaper."

"I regret that advert with all my heart. It's only brought me trouble. But you have to understand, I had no choice!" Bella wails and consequently her previously quietened baby awakes again. Mason looks a lot like Bella with the eyes and the nose and the hair, except he's much chubbier. He doesn't look starved like Bella does.

"You see," she continues "If I just took Masen straight to people like you, I would never see him again. You'd never give him back to me! And I just need some time, someone to look after him until I can get back on my feet, start working again. I don't want to lose him. But I'm desperate," She's sobbing now, and my heart breaks for her. "I don't have any money left, no food, no heating, no nothing! This is Masen's last nappy. It already smells, and I can't even do anything about it. He's cold and he's hungry and..." she seems unable to continue. I look at Rose and while her expression is full of what looks like sympathy, she makes no move to comfort Bella. I nudge her but she just shrugs her shoulders. I step in to help as best as I can.

"Now, there, there, it's alright. We can help you, it's alright." I step forward to pat Bella on the arm, and upon crossing the threshold a wave of cold air hits me. Fuck, the apartment is freezing, even colder that it is outside with the late November weather. Almost unconsciously I pull her closer, the baby in her arms and all, trying to offer her some warmth. She really was skinny.

"Can we come inside, sit somewhere?" I ask tentatively. Bella shrugs her shoulders, and I beacon for Rose to come in as well. In the relative darkness I search for the light switch to turn on the hallway lights, but when I flick it nothing happens. Go figure; there was no electricity here.

"Um, if you could lead the way." I say awkwardly, putting my trust in Bella's familiarity with those surroundings. She leads us through the hallway, manoeuvring around what looks like a small table and a bookshelf. She bumps into something, and I'm worried about her and the baby, but neither make any noise of pain so I assume that they are both okay. Rose hisses behind me, and when I turn to look at her she looks equal part angry and scared.

"Maybe you should watch where you walk, with Masen in your arms. It's bad enough that he has to live here, he doesn't need any more pain from you."

Angrily, I shake my head at Rose but Bella seems to agree. She says 'I know,' followed by a timid 'sorry'. Poor woman, even she wasn't immune to Rosalie's hostility.

"Here, make yourselves comfortable." Bella says as we enter a bigger room. The moonlight is streaming in through the one, small window, and I can see that this is a living room/bedroom/kitchen. There is only one door leading off from here, and I assume that it's the bathroom. This is where Bella lives?

Rosalie seems to share my amazements because she looks at the room with something like wonder, then disgust.

"This is where you live?"

It's a stupid question, and Bella doesn't answer. I can see her silhouette as she puts the baby in a crib, her son moving around a bit before becoming still. There is no blanket covering him. Won't the baby be cold? I am.

She walks over to the kitchen and lights a match, then a candle. She brings it over to us and looks us square in the faces.

"So what exactly is it that you wanted? Since you're not here to take Masen away?" She seemed to accept that fact easily enough, at least.

But yes, what are we doing here? This was Rose's ides. She can deal with it.

"Um... just to help? I don't know. Tell me why you put the ad in the news."

"I already told you. I'm desperate. I want someone to look after Mason, but to let me see him nonetheless." She looks at us expectantly. Well, I don't think we're the people she's looking for.

Rosalie seems to be mirroring my thoughts. "Why are you so scared we'll take Masen then?" Her voice is hostile and sarcastic.

Bella looks shocked at the question and a little frown appears between her eyebrows, probably meaning that she's thinking hard about something.

"I don't know." She says, at last breaking out of her thoughts. She walked over to what I think is the dining table, and sets down her candle so that the whole room is bathed in its gentle light. It casts misfortunate shadows on Bella's cheeks and I am struck one again by how many meals she must have missed. "Do you want to take Masen? On my terms?"

Rose says 'yes' at the same time as I say 'no'. She looks at me, and I stare back, impassively. Making late night visits won't bother my bosses, but breaking the law like that? I wasn't going to risk it.

"Rosalie—"

"Edward, don't you even start. Bella obviously needs our help. For Masen." She clarifies quickly, looking at Bella. I almost laugh. Does it really hurt to be nice?

But I don't laugh, because the situation really isn't funny.

"Rose, do you even know how to look after a baby?"

"It's really not that hard, he's a good kid, I promise, doesn't need that much attention." Bella pitches in, her voice hopeful and her eyes shining with tears now that Rose is considering her offer.

I really hate to disappoint both of them, but there really shouldn't be any discussion about this.

"No. Rose, you don't have the time to care for a baby."I say firmly.

"But—"

"Look, if you take Masen now, it will be breaking the law, and I'll have to report this. So it's better if he stays here."

"In this conditions?" Rose's voice is like steel, cold and cutting and she motions around her to support her point.

I move my hand through her hair. She's probably right. What to do?

"Look, Bella, we can give you some money, to support you for a while. I can buy anything that Mason needs, if you say so. But this arrangement... it isn't going to work. I'm sorry to say this, but it was a sick idea."

"I know." She says, and turns her hand under her hand under her eye to wipe the tears that have fallen, but it's her black eye and she winces. Shit.

"Bella," I ask cautiously. "How did you get that bruise?" The issue which I have thought about earlier suddenly resurfaces. It looks like Bella and her child are the only people living in this apartment. So when would she get that?

"Hmm? Oh, it doesn't matter. That thing with the money... I guess it could work. Only till I can start work again, then I can repay you, I promise." I can see that it's making her very uncomfortable to ask for the money.

"Phew, and how are you going to do that?" Now that her taking the child is out of the equation, Rose has got nothing to lose and turns to her meanest, harpy face. God, I wonder what my brother sees in her.

"I don't know, but I'll get a job, and then I can repay soon after that. So..."

I spare her some trouble of getting the conversation back on the track of money by taking out my wallet and giving her money without asking how much she needs.

There, several 20 pound bills should be enough for her, for now. I extend my hand and shyly she takes the money from me.

"Thank you. Thank you so much. I promise, I will replay every penny of this money." She holds it close to her chest, as though afraid that I will change my mind and take it back. No fucking chance.

"Yeah, right." Rose looks so mad and taking last look at the crib, she walks out. I look after her for a second before turning back to Bella.

"Um, don't worry about her. It isn't just you; she's like that with everyone." I feel the need to explain, for some unknown reason.

Bella smiles a sad smile.

"It's okay. She has every reason to be angry at me, over everything. As do you." I'm about to contradict her by saying that none of it is her fault, but then think better of it. Perhaps she shouldn't have too much confidence in herself. It might make her post that god-awful advert again.

"Okay, well..." things are getting awkward. I slowly retreat, walking towards the door. Bella has the means to live now, she should be fine.

"Edward, wait!" she says when I'm almost to the door. I turn back to her. She looks timid again. "That's you name, right? Well, thank you, again. And say that to your friend, Rose, too. Thank you."

"Okay." I wait to see if she will say anything more. She doesn't, she only looks at me. In the silence, I suddenly hear her stomach rumble with hunger. I look down to pretend that I didn't hear it when her face turns several shades of red in a second and I spot the bill that I left there earlier, on the floor. I pick it up and put it on the table in the hallway. Let Bella keep that money, too. She needs it so much more than I ever would.

I leave, and once I cross the threshold I am hit by the warmer air. How can it be so cold in that flat? And Bella and her child look so underdressed, too.

I'm on the first step when Bella calls me again.

"Edward wait, I don't even know your name." Yes you do, you just said it. What? "Your full name, I mean. How else am I supposed to find you and pay back the money?"

Huh, she's serious about that. Who would have thought?

"Well, my name is Edward Cullen. But don't worry about it, you can keep the money, or whatever you want to do with it." Just as long as it improves your life in some way, Bella.

She shakes her head.

"Edward Cullen, okay. Bye, Edward." Hmm, it sounds nice, the way she says my name.

"Bye, Bella." I run down the steps to join Rose who is waiting by my car.

"Finished with that whore?" she asks acidly. "What did you do, pay her off?"

"Rosalie, it isn't her fault, the way she lives. And it's none of your business anyway."

"It is if advertisements of her baby appear in the newspapers that I read."

Hmm, fair point.

I open the car and just as we're about to get it, I hear a woman's scream, not far in the distance. Probably some stupid, drunk teenager, but it makes me stop in my tracks. Everything comes back to me. The bruises on Bella's face, the lack of electricity, her stomach rumbling, the coldness of the flat...

"You know what, you're right, it is very much your business. Rose, we can't leave her in there. I'm scared for her _life..._ and her baby's. Maybe you could take her back to yours. Let her stay there for a few days..."

"Oh, no, Edward Cullen, you are not serious. Do you seriously expect me to—?"

"Yes."

"No! You're mad! I don't want her at mine. If you're all about protecting her, you take her home."

"Aw, Rosalie, you know that she'll think that I'm taking advantage of her." I can already imagine what Bella would say. First I pay her, then I propose to take her home... That would get a great response of someone who looks as innocent as Bella. Rosalie must be absolutely crazy. I look at her in a way that, hopefully, expresses exactly that exact thought, but she's staring straight ahead. No wonder men live shorter lives than women, what with women like Rose in their lives.

"Fine, I'll take her in." I say at last. Maybe Bella will realise that I have nothing but good intentions towards her.

"What, have you gone crazy? No!"

But I'm not listening to Rosalie. I'm already out of the car, and heading back to the flat Number 18. I knock again, and a minute later the door opens a bit, a scared looking Bella peering out. When she sees that it's me, she relaxes slightly and opens the door further, but that crease appears between her eyes again.

"Edward. What are you still doing here?"

I'm slightly preoccupied.

"Bella, who are you so scared of? Is it the person who gave you that bruise?" I point in the direction of her black eye.

"What? No, no. It's just... It's better to be wary at night, especially around here. And with people reading that unfortunate advert I have made..." she shrugs her shoulders, like it's nothing.

I'm horrified.

"Bella, did someone come here and beat you up over that? That's... that's"

"Don't be so quick to judge them , Edward." Why is she defending her attackers? "Didn't you and Rose come here with the same intentions?"

I don't reply, because she is right.

"Bella, this place isn't safe for you. Come on, pack your stuff. You're moving in with me."

**Ooh, hi again! Thank you for the follows and favourites and especially the reviews! **

**I wrote most of this chapter yesterday, but then I thought that it would seem a bit desperate if I posted a chapter a day, so I waited... and waited:P **

**What did you think? I can't help feeling that all my chapters are too short and too little happens, but I don't know. You tell me, I guess. **

**Please review again, like you did for the prologue and chapter one. Follows are great and all, but it's the reviews that really make me feel accomplished:))**

**I think I'll post another chapter on Friday, but I'm not sure yet. **

**See you soon! **

**AmeliaJasmine**


	4. Chapter 4

**The amazing characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. All the stuff that doesn't make much sense (pretty much the whole storyline so far:P) belongs to me. **

The drive home is silently awkward. Getting Bella out of her flat wasn't hard. In fact, she seemed very grateful to be out of there. Not that I blame her.

Rosalie is silent—giving us _the _silent treatment. To be honest, it's probably the best thing that she could be doing at the moment, because at least it stops her from criticizing anyone further. Bella is uncomfortable enough as it is. Rose isn't in the car by her own choice; it had started to rain and even she isn't crazy enough to want to catch the bus in this weather. Why she doesn't get a car is beyond me. I mean, she is beautiful and all, even when her hair is dripping wet and her makeup is streaming down her face, there is no denying that. But aren't all women fussy about getting their hair going frizzy? I look in the review mirror, where Bella is seating with her child. No, I guess not all women care about their appearances all that much. Maybe that only goes for the women that _I _have the knack for meeting.

Suddenly, a smell hits me that makes me cringe. Looking for the source of it, I once more look at Bella. She has a similar expression to mine on her face, except that hers is marred with tears in her eyes. She's looking down at Masen. Why?

Then it hits me. Shit. The car is warm, and the smells which I have overlooked before come to me now. Bella wasn't kidding when she said that her son's nappy was full. Which means that she wasn't exaggerating when she said that it was to last one. Maybe foolishly, I have been hoping that maybe things weren't quite that bad. I don't comment, but I make a mental note to myself to stop at the supermarket before going home, get some things which were obviously essentials right now.

But first, I have to drive Rose to her house. She's making a big show of plugging her nose and breathing through her mouth, which makes Bella squirm in embarrassment and try to rearrange the baby in her arms to somehow cover the smell. Poor Bella.

The light on the road ahead turns red and I come to a stop. Rosalie is looking out the window, and so is Bella. I look straight ahead. Apart from the banging of the rain on the car's roof, it is silent and the silence seems awkward. I tap my fingers on the steering wheel. Then I stop, worried that it might annoy someone. I turn on the radio.

We all jump as the loud music streams from the speakers. I quickly turn the volume down to a background noise, but it's too late. Masen has awoken and he is screaming the place down. Rosalie turns to glare at Bella, as Bella tries to calm her baby with quiet and soothing words.

"Sorry," I mouth.

Bella shakes her head dismissively.

"Shh, shush baby, it's okay, it's okay, mommy's got you, it's alright..." She rocks Masen back and forth, but he is unrelenting in his crying, oblivious to his surroundings. I have to look away from them as someone honks at me and I realise that the traffic light is once again green. I speed away.

I am soon approaching Rose's house, and I'm so grateful that the journey didn't have to be any longer. Rosalie would not speak to me for _weeks _after this, but since she was the one who made us investigate in the first place I'm not troubled by it. She bought it on herself.

Apart from Masen we are all silent as Rosalie leaves the car, slamming the door with unnecessary force and runs to her small house. I wait to see her open the door. Bella quietly clears her throat and she's looking worried.

"Well... shouldn't we leave the car then?"

I immediately realise my mistake. Bella thinks that I live with Rose, that's why she agreed to come so easily. Shit. I need to clarify, but in a way that won't make Bella want to go back to her place. It isn't safe for her. But how to word my explanation in a way that will make her believe that I only wanted her out of the harm's way? Hm...

"Well?" Bella says, but its barley audible over Mason's crying. That kid has a nice, strong pair of lungs. "Well?" She enquires again after I take too long to reply and she slides over to the side to open the door.

"No, Bella, wait!" I say.

"Yes?" Damn, I'd better make this sound good.

"Well, you see... I don't live with Rosalie. I own this house nearby, yes, and that's where I meant you'd be staying when I said you can come and live with me. Because it's safer. Rosalie isn't your biggest fan, not that that's a bad thing, you should count your blessings, but it also means that she wasn't too ecstatic with the idea of you living with her."

"I can understand that." She sounds sad. Argh, this isn't what I was going for...

"No no, it's fine, really. Rose wouldn't want to share the house with me either, don't feel left out because of it."

I see with relief that she smiles.

"What, so you guys are together and she doesn't want to live with you? What makes you so repulsive?" Oh, Bella's playful. I like it. But she got it all wrong. I get the creeps just thinking about dating Rose. I did have _some _standards...

"Rosalie and I are not together."

"No? I just thought, with the way you two were arguing like an old couple... So what, you're like, siblings?"

"Nope, we're not siblings either." I think that I'm enjoying this guessing game way too much. But again, I can't imagine what life would be like, having to handle Rose _every single day._ I have it bad enough as it is, with Emmett and Alice. "Rose dates my brother, Emmett. He's on an internship in America at the moment, which is probably the only reason that Rose called me to come with her. Well, either that, or because she thought that some intervention would be needed from the social worker." I look to see Bella's face no longer bearing that gentle uplift of her lips, and I regret what I said.

She says 'America' almost dreamily though, which confuses me.

Huh?

"Okay... So is it okay then? If you'll stay with me for a while? Only as long as you want to, I won't force you to stay."

I couldn't imagine a reason why she would want to leave.

"Um. Yeah, I guess its okay. Thank you. That's very generous."

"No problem. Do you want to get the shotgun?"

She panics briefly.

"No, wait, let me rephrase. Do you want to sit at the front in the car?" Geez, talk about an over-reaction. It makes her visibly relax though, so that's good.

"No, I'm fine here, thank you." She speaks so quietly; I have to read her lips over the sound of the radio and the still crying Mason. Is it normal for kids to cry this much? Hm, maybe it is.

I start the car, and Bella glances out her window again. I focus on the road. With Bella sitting at the back, I feel like a chauffeur, or a taxi driver or something, which is totally messed up. I don't think Bella realises the way this looks. She just isn't familiar enough with me to want to sit next to me, that's all.

We make a stop at a 24 hour supermarket and I open my door and get out of the car. Wow, it's so silent without the little baby's cries. I begin to wonder if it was a good idea, inviting them over.

But of course it wasn't a good idea, I know that for a fact. I just had no choice, really. They wouldn't _be _here, if there had been some other, safer option. I shake my head, confused at my own way of thinking.

Bella makes no move to get out of the car. I tap on her window, and she looks at me questioningly. She finally opens her door.

"It's okay Edward, you just get whatever you need to get, I think I'd rather wait here."

Um, what about the nappies then?

"Bella, I want you to get the necessities for Masen. You can't very well do that sitting in the car."

"Oh, okay... Okay then. Thanks." She smiles and gets out. I close her door.

It takes us a while to find the kids isle in the shop because neither Bella nor I are familiar with the layout. Masen is calm but not asleep and he gazes around him. His eyes are really same to Bella's, the same deep, deep brown. It's nice.

People throw us some strange looks, and I know that it's probably Bella that causes that sort of reaction, with her anorexic-looking body and the evidence of violence on her face. I stare each person down.

It wasn't her fault, whatever happened to her. Back off.

Bella picks out the cheapest brand of nappies, and then some basic baby formula. I'm about to suggest that maybe the more expensive but trusted brands may be better, but I bite my tongue. It's her child, she knows what's best for Masen. She also grabs some baby wipes, and powder. She seems to be in here element, truly happy for the first time. I'm guessing that it's because there's finally some means for her and Masen to live.

Smiling at me, she turns and heads to the food isle, where she begins to pick out some foods.

Why?

"Bella, I have apples at home, I think. You don't need to take those."

She looks at me, and then blushes.

Hah, who would have though, Bella with her face all red and embarrassed.

"Um so... So is it okay if we take some of your food?" she stutters, tomato red.

"Yes, of course." How selfish does she think I am?

"Okay. Thank you."

She says 'thank you' so often, it's almost annoying. But it probably makes it easier for her to accept my help, so I allow it without comments.

We head to the check outs, and I take out my wallet once more.

"No, Edward. Don't."

What? Why?

Bella takes out the money that I gave her earlier. I start to protest.

"Edward, you're already doing too much. Let me pay for this. If it makes you feel any better, remember that this is your money anyway."

No, it's yours, I gave it to you, to keep. Besides, this is nothing.

I give over the correct amount to cashier before Bella can. She makes to stop me, but then draws back her hand. I throw her a triumphant smile. She sighs.

"Thank you, Edward." There it is again, the 'thank you'. It's my turn to sigh.

"It's really alright, Bella."

Once all is packed I take the shopping, seeing as Bella is already carrying her baby, and we walk back to the car.

"Sit at the front." I tell her. She does without a word. I put the shopping in the back and then climb into my own seat and start the engine. Damn, that baby's smell is even stronger now, when he's right next to me. I start the engine. This time, I don't turn on the radio, unwilling to repeat the same episode twice.

We soon arrive at mine, and I drive my car into the driveway. My house isn't that big, as a bachelor living alone I don't need much space, but Bella still looks impressed.

"So, um, come on then." I'm feeling shy, all of a sudden. "This is my home."

**Aw, I was going to post this yesterday, but the site was down. Guess I didn't make it of Friday after all:(( **

**Um, so, okay. I think the next chapter will also be a continuation of the same night, but I promise, it will be the last one. Then the story can properly start. I'm sorry that all the chapters so far had only covered so little time, but it probably had to be done. Introductions out of the way, we can then move on. **

**I don't want to be nagging or anything, but I only got 2 reviews for the last chapter. If I get reviews, I will keep writing. If I don't... well, I can't make any promises. If you like this fanfiction and you want me to continue, please leave reviews! **

**Apart from that, thank you all for sticking around. **

**I might post the next chapter tomorrow, or on Monday, depending when I can finish it. I have a lot of revision to do, for school:/**

**Take care till then, **

**AmeliaJasmine**


	5. Chapter 5

**All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer, the kicks I get out of it belong to me.**

I open the front door for Bella to enter and then follow her in. She looks around herself with awe, and I follow her sight to see what splendour she is discovering. I see nothing but crème carpets and magnolia walls, all part of the décor from when I first moved in. There is a coat rack in the corner by the door and a few pairs of shoes neatly arranged underneath. A single picture decorates the walls, a photograph of my family from when I was about 10 years old. Nothing that could have deserved such a reaction.

But then again, the house is warm, smells alright, and the porch light offers enough electric glow to make the whole place look cosy. Even this is more than Bella has.

"Um yeah. So. Let me show you around." I say and lead the way to my kitchen. I always think that there is plenty of space for the microwave to stand, but my mother always complains about the kitchen's limiting size. I don't really get it. "This is the kitchen." I say, probably unnecessarily. I set Bella's shopping down on the kitchen island. "You can use it anytime you like. There's the food in the fridge, mostly for the microwave but I think I have some raw ingredients too. Some things are in the freezers, the cans and jars are in this cupboard, the pots in this one, the cutlery in this draw... you know how to use the microwave?" Bella rolls her eyes at me, but nods her head as well. "Okay, well... there's bedrooms upstairs. Oh, and the fruit are in this basket. Don't take off your shoes, its fine." I say as Bella begins to take them off.

"No, no, I don't want to make your house messy." Bella says and takes them off with one hand while holding onto the sleeping Masen with the other.

"Do you want me to...?" I hold out my hands to take Masen from her, and she passes him along to me gently but with no hesitation. I bounce him up and down a few times. Strangely enough, he seems heavy for a 14 month old. It seems like, while Bella had been starving herself, Masen hadn't missed a meal.

After Bella has her shoes off, we go upstairs.

"This is my room." I point out the left-hand-side door on the first-floor landing. "And this is the bathroom. It'll be yours and Masen's, I have en-suite. Then, this can be your room..." I open the door to the spare bedroom at the end of the hallway. While it is by no means luxurious, seeing as I hardly ever have any guests, it does have a double bed that can easily accommodate Bella ad her child, a bedside table and a small walk in wardrobe for any clothes that Bella might acquire in the near future. When I had told her to pack her bags and come live a mine, she didn't take anything with her, except for one fluffy toy for Masen. I didn't comment on it, just like I didn't comment on anything else about Bella that was strange. I didn't know if she didn't have any clothes, or if she didn't think that any of them were worth taking along, but I was already planning on calling Alice, to take Bella along on a shopping trip.

"Masen is okay to sleep with you, right? Because I don't have a crib or anything."

Oh, great, I didn't think about this before, and I should have. What if she says no? Then I'll have to drive them back to that awful apartment, and we're back at block one.

"No, that's fine. He usually sleeps with me anyway."

Phew.

"Okay, well..." I don't know what to say now. I look around for some inspiration as things start to get really awkward, and my eyes fall on the little clock on the bedside table in the room that now belongs to Bella. Its hands are telling me that it's way past midnight. Is this clock right? I check my wristwatch. Shit, yeah, and I have to start work at 7 tomorrow.

"Aw, Bella, I need to go to bed now. I have to work tomorrow, and... Yeah. Are you okay on your own? I left the stuff that you brought for Masen in the kitchen, you can get it if you want. You know where the bathroom is, if you need to wash or something, the towels are in the draw in the bathroom. There should be some shower gel that Alice left behind."

"Edward, don't worry. I'll be okay. Thank you for everything, today."

"No problem Bella. I was glad to help."

"I know." She smiles a broad smile. I pass Masen back to her, and she lays him down on the bed. I turn to leave. Bella watches me retire and doesn't close the door. Of course. She'll probably want to feed and change Masen, and hopefully eat something herself.

"Goodnight." I say to her, quietly, and then close my bedroom door. Then I just stand there for a minute in silence, waiting to see what Bella will do. I hear her walking down the stairs. I was right.

I briefly consider the fact that she might steal something from my house and leave before I have the chance to get up tomorrow but I dismiss the thought. She really didn't seem like that kind of person. Rubbing my neck to ease some of the tension of the day, I go to my bathroom to take a shower.

Already in bed, I fold my hands under my head, close my eyes, and let my mind drift. I sort through the evens of the day, backward, analyzing some of the details. The failed escape of the kid, what was his name...? The paperwork that... um, yeah, the paperwork... Also... Bella and Masen...

My mind is becoming a blank abyss...

Only to be wrenched out of my half asleep state to the loud crying of a baby.

Great. This is going to be a long night.

+.+.+.+

The sound of my phone wrenches me out of my dreamless sleep. I blindly reach for it, accidently dropping in onto the floor before I have the time to quieten it. I roll out of bed, reach under my bed to retrieve my phone and finally, _finally _that horrible, ear-wrenching sound of the alarm is gone.

Thank God.

I just lay there for a second, contemplating whether it was worth the effort to get up. Everyone always said that it gets easier in the mornings after high school. I don't see that 'easier' anywhere on the horizon, and I had really been hoping that by the age of 25 I would have. Guess I'm just not a morning person.

Eventually, the coldness and the hardness of the floor beckon me to get up. Of course, by this time I am late with my schedule. I quickly get dressed and ready, foregoing my tie completely after several failed attempts at the Windsor tie knot. Like I'm in a frenzy, I run down to the kitchen to get a quick cup of coffee before I leave and then...

I suddenly hear someone bustling around the kitchen.

Bella. Of course. How could have I forgotten? I considerably slow down my pace and enter the kitchen beaming widely.

"Morning." I say, positive and cheerful, almost the exact opposite of how I'm feeling today.

Bella is standing by the cooker, dressed in the clothes that she was wearing yesterday except that now she's wearing no socks. I should probably tell her that she can use the washing machine if she wants to, or borrow some of my things, but I don't know how to make it sound inoffensive, especially under these present circumstances.

Masen is sitting on one of the kitchen chairs, holding a bottle of baby formula to his lips and suckling as we watches me. Bella is tending to the eggs and bacon which are sizzling in the frying pan. She takes full advantage of my facilities, I see.

"Morning yourself." Bella returns my greeting, briefly tuning her head to throw me a smile over her shoulder. "I made you some breakfast, if you'd like. I'm not sure if you like bacon and eggs, but since I found it in your fridge..."

"No, that's fine. Thanks." I sit down next to Masen and ruffle his soft baby hair. I wasn't planning on eating anything before leaving, but I didn't want to be rude to Bella. She's obviously put effort into organising this.

Then again, this is all so strange. This is my house, and Bella is my guest. Why should I feel weird about any of this?

"Oh, good. I made coffee as well. Here." She sets a cup of black coffee in front of me.

"Thanks." I take a sip. Hmm, Bella is a blessing. The brewage is so strong it almost numbs my tongue, but it's sure to keep me awake, and isn't that the point of all this? "Hmm, this is great. Thank you."

"No problem." She returns to the frying pan, leaving me to drink in peace.

I check my watch. Ahh, it's so late. I need to go soon, rude to Bella's efforts or not.

"Here's the food." she says, before I can stand. Hmm, it does smell great. Maybe I can stay a minute longer.

"Okay, thank you. But I need to go soon." I say, then dig in. It is nice, even if it's so simple. Compared to my microwave heated food, this is heaven. "Hm, this is really good, Bella." I look at her smiling face as she sits across from me. She's watching me eat. The fact is slightly disturbing, but it quickly becomes insignificant as I notice that Bella doesn't have any food in front of her. I draw my brown in. She's the one who really needs to eat.

"What's wrong?" Bella asks, probably concerned by my expression.

"Bella, you need to eat as well. There's plenty left. Get yourself some."

She obeys without an argument, as I had imagined for some strange reason. But of course, she's hungry. Did she eat last night, after I retired? My guess is not.

"Thanks." She says, and I don't even know why. I shake my head and smirk.

She sits opposite me, a plate with barely any eggs and no bacon in front of her and eats slowly, still watching me. I stare right back at her, and she blushes and looks down. Now that I think about it, her face generally seems to have more colour than it did last night. Is she any better now? Or is it just so warm here, because of the cooking?

Masen is finished with his breakfast now, and he starts to make loud noises, playing with the empty bottle. Bella leaves her food to take care of him.

Ah, Bella. But I don't comment.

"Um. Okay. This is great. Great cooking. Look, I have to go to work now. You'll be okay, right?"

"You're going to work?" Bella asks, brushing her hair back from her face as she looks up from Masen.

Duh. "Yeah, I am. Aren't I dressed the part?" Did she think I wore suits everyday? I spin for her to see.

"Yeah, I guess. You wore the same thing yesterday though." She's laughing.

Oh, she's right. No wonder. "Well, yeah, I need to go. Um... here, I'll write you my number, if anything happens, you can call..." I take a pen and paper and write down the digits. I put it down by the landline. "Do whatever you want. You can leave if you like, but the door shuts automatically so if you do, you'll have to wait until I get back. I don't have any spare keys, I don't think... Um, yeah, so you know everything is. Oh, if you want to watch TV or something, the living room is through that door, but it's sort of messy right now. Sorry. Look, I have to run. You'll be okay?"

"What time are you getting back?"

"Oh, around five, if the traffic's light. Otherwise it might take a little longer. But roughly round that time." A worried frown appear between her eyebrows. "Is that okay?" I ask, just to make sure.

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Okay. I really have to run. See you."

"Yeah, bye." She walks me to the door. It's nice. Quickly, I leave.

As I walk to the car, I look back at her. I take in her thin, damaged hair, her willowy form, her old clothes, all before she turns her head quickly, and then leaves. Probably Masen is crying again.

Bella needs a serious break. As I move my Volvo from the driveway, I make the decision to call Alice.

**Ta-dah. Any thoughts? **

**There is going to be one more chapter between Bella and Edward, and the I want Alice to come in. I know that it's slow right now. It will get better, I promise. **

**On that note thought, I don't think that this fan fiction is boring enough, that there is nothing that you can comment on, in a REVIEW. Send me reviews. Please. I had 2 reviews for the last chapter, just like the precious one. Yes, I'm nagging. But I'd like to have more. I will eventually lose my hope for this story if I don't hear that you like it, and then I'll stop writing. Seriously. **

**I don't know when I'll post again. Unknown to me, my mother had been getting letters from my school, telling her that I should be attending afterschool catch up sessions to brush up on my coursework. I didn't even know that it needed any more work. So that's what I'll be doing, from now on:(( This chapter is only up today because I've written most of it on Sunday. **

**See you when I emerge from my high pile of work. **

**Take care, **

**AmeliaJasmine**


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't make any money off of this, because it all belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I wish all her ideas belonged to me though. Oh well. **

I'm distracted at work. Part of it is due to the fact that all I have to do today is sign off some papers for post sixteens who have just left our care, but I am also quite distracted with thoughts of Bella. When I first arrived at work my thoughts were tinged with friendly concern but as the day progressed I started to analyse everything I was too tired to analyse the night before. I realised that I knew nothing about the woman who I had trusted with my house and everything in it. Isn't this what my last training session was about? Being critical rather than following the gut feeling? Because that's what I'm doing here; trusting Bella explicitly, because of my guts. I could come back to see everything valuable taken and Bella gone. Or maybe there will be no house left at all – perhaps I will find it burned to the ground.

As soon as I have my lunch-break, I call home.

Bella answers on the second ring.

"Hello?" Her soft voice breathes into the receiver. It sounds like she's whispering. I'm so relieved to hear from her.

"Hey, it's Edward."

"Oh, thank God." She's still whispering. Maybe Masen's sleeping. Yeah, that would make sense. "I just realised that I don't know what your last name is. When someone calls I answer 'Hello this is the residence of...?"

I laugh. "Edward Cullen. But no one will call, except for my family maybe. Then it's just Edward." I'm smiling. If Bella worried about something like this, she probably isn't planning on leaving anytime soon.

"Okay, Cullen, got it. So, did you need something?"

Oh yeah, I am calling her for no apparent reason, aren't I?

"Just to make sure that everything is going well. Did you have any troubles with anything?"

"No, I'm fine. Masen's sleeping right now," Hah, so I was right. That's why Bella's whispering. My smile widens. "But after he wakes, I want to go back to my home, get some things." My smile disappears at that. Overprotective as it may be, seeing as I only knew her for a day, I don't want Bella in that neighbourhood.

"Bella, no." I say aiming to be firm but instead it comes out sounding like a plead.

"What? Why not? I lived there, you know, only yesterday."

"Yeah, and yesterday you got a black eye and a split lip." I hear a sharp intake of breath from Bella at my harshly spoken words. How did the mood shift so quickly from light and pleasant to angry and intense? But I'm hopeless here—hopeless to stop her going in she wants to go. "Bella, wait, that came out wro—"

"That was special circumstance." She interrupts. She's very defensive in those words. Offence as the best defence, or so they say. "And it was my fault, anyways." Okay, maybe not then. "That was stupid of me, to think that anything good would come out of that ad. Wait, but it did. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, I am."

"I know."

"What I meant though, was that it was stupid of me to post that advert. It was bound to bring trouble. But Edward, I lived there ever since Masen was born, I know how to keep low."

Argh, I'm losing this fight. Is it even a fight? I don't know.

"Ed, five mins!" I turn to see my manager call me, from where I'm sitting in my secluded corner. I nod my head at her.

"Bella, look, stay home for now, okay? Once I get back I can take you back to your place, you get your things, and then we head back to mine. Just don't go by yourself, okay? I don't even have your number to call if anything happens."

Bella sighs. "Okay, Edward, I'll stay here." Yes! My shoulders relax. I didn't realise that they were so tensed. "But I need to talk to you as well. Something important."

Oh God, Bella isn't a druggie who needs to feed her addictions, or a prostitute, right? Because then I _definitely _need to interfere in her and Masen's lives. Ah, damn why am I thinking about this? But I can't really rule it out just yet...

"What do you want to talk about?" I ask cautiously.

A sigh, again. What is it that's bothering her?

"I'll tell you when you get back, okay?"

"Bella, wait—"

"Um, Edward, Masen is stirring. I need to go. Bye."

I resign. "Yeah, see you." I hang up.

I have four minutes to get back to work, maybe more if no one sees me here. I'll need the time.

I call Alice.

"Edward, hi!" Answers my midget of a sister on the first ring. She sounds like she's been drinking Lucozade, as always.

"Hey Al. How are you?"

"Ooh, yeah, I'm good. Jazz is staying over with me right now, we're having a great time—"

"Okay, I don't really want to know." I really like the guy, Jasper. I don't know much about his and Alice's relationship, and I'd rather keep it that way. Besides, with Alice, you need to cut the crap or you'll never get to the point. "Look, I have a favour to ask."

"Oh, so that's why you call. I thought you called for a chit-chat." She's as sarcastic as can get. I never really call just like that. I usually have an ulterior motive.

"Well, you know me well. But you see... um, it's hard to explain."

"Spit it out, Ed, spit it out."

"Yeah, so yesterday, I sort of met this woman," I start of hesitantly, but how are you supposed to explain to your sister that you met a woman, who advertised her kid, brought her home, and basically made her your new flatmate? Yeah, that will go down well.

"You met someone?" Come on Alice, is it really that surprising? But wait, the last relationship I was in was well over a year ago. Yeah I guess it is weird. But to start with, I'm not with Bella, so it's all well besides the point.

"Yeah, but not like you think, Ali. She's like, really poor, and she has a little baby... I offered to let her stay at mine, because she lives in that really dangerous neighbourhood where all the murders the always write about occur." Okay, I'm overdoing it, but I really need to stress the situation to make Alice understand. She thinks I'm weird enough as it is.

"Okay, and...?"

I wait but she doesn't say any more. I am... speechless. This was is? Where are the million and one questions? The reproaches, the lectures on what to and what not to do? Is this even Alice I'm talking to?

"What, and you're going to let it go, just like that?" I ask in disbelief.

"Well, obviously not. I want every last detail, whether or not you're willing to share. But you obviously called for a different reason, so what do you want?"

Oh my god, I think I actually love my sister. Huh, how weird.

"Oh, well, I think that the girl had a hard life so far. I want you to take her our shopping, or spa, or whatever girly shit you women do."

"Jeez, thanks. Shouldn't we like, meet first, though, or something?"

"Oh yeah, that's probably a good idea. Do you want to come over tomorrow?" I hold my finger up to my boss as she comes to get me back to work. She stops and puts her hands on her hips, waiting for me to hang up.

"I'm still with Jazz tomorrow, we're-oh, wait, you don't want to know."

"Sorry Alice."

"Yeah, yeah, I probably wouldn't want to hear about your sex life either. If you had one."

"Alice! That is totally inappropriate, no matter how I look at it."

"Edward, get back to work now." My boss speaks. I can't ignore her. I like my job.

"Alice, I can't talk, I'll call back later, okay?"

"Okay, I'll come over the day after tomorrow." Alice says just as I hang up.

"Finished?" My boss asks, and I look at her with redemption in my face. I can be a real charmer when I want to be. It works. She purses her lips at me to hide her smile along with a shake of her head, and walks away. I follow her to the meeting room, where the meeting was supposed to have started a few minutes ago. The chatter of my co-workers who are still on lunch break is nice.

As I settle for the meeting, my thoughts once more return to Bella as I wonder what she might be doing.

**Hiya! How are you all? Did you have a good week?**

**So, I'm on school break right now, for a week. Some free time. The school still doing catch up for coursework, which I should be attending, but fortunately I'm leaving for holiday, so yay! I can write freely again! I will probably post again sometime this week. **

**I was so happy with the reviews that I received. Thank you thank you thank you! Please keep it up. And I was smiling at all the new follows and favourites. Thank you, everyone. **

**I know that this was such a short chapter, and a filler, more tank anything else. But Bella and Edward will be having a nice, long conversation in the next chapter, so we'll find out more about her, and then Alice will be properly introduced... yeah, just think about that:) )**

**See you all soon and take care, **

**AmeliaJasmine **

**PS: Sorry for any mistakes that appear in this, or any of the other chapters. I know that there are a lot of them. I don't always catch them when I ready through:/ **


	7. Chapter 7

The rest of the day drags on. Just as I'm out of the work building at 5, Alice calls again. I start to regret calling her. This will be a hard conversation to bare. I hit the answer button.

"Oh my God, Ed, you have a homeless person, alone, in your house. You're crazy. Seriously, call the police, or something. If you don't, I'll call mum."

There is no 'hello again', no 'how have you been', just pure Alice. Whatever spell she was under before obviously broke. A damn shame that is.

"Alice, calm down. I know what I'm doing, well, more or less. Don't call mum. We'll sort this all out."

"But Edward! Do you even know who she is? Maybe she's like a prostitute or something. A druggie!" I can't very well blame Alice for the assumptions that I have made, can I? Gah, why did I call her in the first? It would be easier to warm Rosalie to the idea of Bella than it will be to convince Alice.

"Alice, seriously, calm down. Everything's fine. I just called a few hours ago, nothing is happening. Besides, did I forget to mention that Bella has a little baby? You want me to throw them out?"

This throws Alice off of her tracks, but only for a few seconds. Just enough time for me to get in the car and set my phone on the dashboard speaker. When Alice's voice comes again, it sounds more controlled. Whether it's because she's composed herself or because of my speakers, I don't know. I'm guessing it's the latter though.

"Fine, so she has a child. Don't throw her out. Let's just think this through." Yeah, like she hasn't already got a game plan.

"What are you planning Alice? I know that you're up to something."

"Of course I am! You don't know what you're dealing with!"

"Don't be so fast to make any judgements. You don't know any more than I do."

"That's the point! We don't know who she is. Did you Google her? If there was any criminal records, it would pop out, right?" Hmm, some good ideas here. Flawed, though.

"Not necessarily. If she was a minor when she committed crimes—I'm not saying that there were any crimes, mind you—then it's illegal to mention her name. But it's not a bad idea."

I hear Alice's gasp from the end of the phone. "What, like she might be under aged? Edward!"

Shit, I didn't think about this. Is Bella under aged? I really hope not. On the other hand... that would mean she would be intitled to social care, and probably support for her baby as well...

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you know if she's eighteen?"

Crap, trust Alice to press the most uncomfortable issues.

"I'm not sure, Alice. I'll ask her tonight. She said that she wants to have a talk anyway."

"What kind of talk? I could help. Woman's intuition, you know." Well, she's got that right, at least. Alice is one of the most intuitive people that I have ever come across. Sometimes, her predictions are so accurate it's scary. Of course, that's probably why she's doing so well with her business of a boutique, while I'm barely making a living.

"I'm not sure..."

"I could come over later tonight. Yeah, that's actually a great idea. Jasper has to work anyway." Is that why she was so distracted earlier and so perceptive now? Is it all coming down to Jasper? Because if it is, I swear, I'll make the guy marry my sister.

"Alice, not tonight. You're already meeting her in two days time. Give her some space till then."

"You think?" she seems calmer now, good.

"Yeah, definitely. I can call you later to tell you everything, if you'd like."

"Call me if anything happens, okay. I can come over any time."

"Sure Alice, thanks. See you."

She doesn't say bye, just hangs up.

I pull up outside my house and sit in the car for a minute, before stepping out and opening the front door. Only silence greets me, and whereas normally this would be reassuring, now it makes me worried.

"Bella?" I call out. No answer. I walk to the kitchen. No one there. The door to the living room is closed, just like I left it, but I open it anyway to see if maybe Bella was there.

The room is strangely empty. It takes me a minute to realise that all the leftovers for numerous take-always have been cleaned up. My previously discarded clothes are cleaned up, too, folded neatly. Hmm, Bella must have done it. Cleaning the house, but why? As repayment for letting her live here? Surely that would be a good sign, a sign that she's grateful. But I already knew that, didn't I?

I return to the hallway and walk up the stairs, still looking for Bella. I don't want to invade her privacy, so I leave her bedroom alone.

Fortunately for me, she comes out of her bathroom just as I'm about to go back downstairs. In one hand she holds Masen who is sleeping with his head on her shoulder, in the other a smelly nappy.

Her hair is pulled back into a messy ponytail and I notice with interest how she seems to have knotted it to stay in place... I wonder how she did that. It was always impossible to do that to Alice's hair, it just slid out. Unless Bella's hair is just so damaged it stays in place... hmm, that's a legitimate reason. God, every woman I know would have a heart attack seeing this. Not Bella though, apparently. She isn't at all bothered.

"Ooh, Edward. I thought I heard you come in. How was your day?"

What a nice question to ask. I smile at her.

"Hi, it was nice. How was your day?"

"Definitely better than average." Of course, I add, mentally. "I cleaned your house a little."

Oh great, embarrassing. I leave all the dirt behind, for Bella to clean up...

"I noticed. You didn't have to do that, you know." I think my cheeks flush.

"Oh, did you not want me to? I'm sorry." She bites her lip worriedly, and my eyes zone in on it. Chapped, they still look nice in that lovely shade of pink. But she worries it constantly. I return my gaze to her eyes.

"Well, I don't mind. But you didn't have to do that. You shouldn't have to clean up after me."

"But it's the least that I can do to repay you..."

"You don't need to repay me. Anyways, you said that you wanted to talk about something?" what could it be that Bella wants to talk about? For some reason I'm nervous about it. Talking never does anyone any good.

"Yes, let me just put Masen down. When he's sleeping it's the best time to change him. Otherwise he cries mercilessly." Bella smiles shyly.

I noticed that Masen cries a lot. That was the reason I hardly got any sleep last night.

I lean against the wall and wait in the hallway as Bella goes to her bedroom, coming back a minute later without Masen. Gesturing for her to go first, we go downstairs and into the living room which Bella had cleaned. After me. Ugh.

"Make yourself comfortable." I say as I sit on the sofa. Bella looks ill at ease, standing in front of the sofa and biting her lip again. She sits though, when I tell her to, her back rigidly straight and her hands fidgeting nervously in her lap.

Since she's sitting next to me, it's very easy to reach over and put my hands atop of her, stopping the fidgeting. Her hands are cold, and dry. In need of moisturising. She quickly takes her hands from underneath mine and I withdraw my hand as well. Okay. At least now she's looking at me.

She's silent for a few more seconds, regarding me shrewdly, before she starts speaking.

"Um, I guess, what I really wanted to ask was... and I don't mean to be rude or anything... but how long do you think I can stay here in your house?" she blushes furiously while I exhale and relax. Okay, this will be easy.

"As long as you need to, Bella. I don't mind. Why do you ask?" she's shaking her head before I finish.

"No, no, I need a deadline. I know I can't stay here forever. I really need to know how long you're comfortable with having me here, so I can plan ahead."

"Plan ahead to what?" I ask, then immediately realise my rudeness. "No, wait, that came out wrong—"

"No, it's okay, I get it. I need to find a job, to support Masen and myself. Hopefully, I'll hear from my mother by then, and she can take care of my baby, but if not... well, then I'll just have to find a job where I can take Masen with me."

"Umm... what about before? How did you manage then? Before now, I mean." That shithole of a place she had must have been cheap to rent, and she obviously did so for a long time; the place was very lived-in. But even the little money which it cost must have been paid for somehow.

When my mother was still around, she babysat Masen while I worked. I worked long hours though. After she left... well, after she left, it wouldn't do for me to leave Masen alone at home while I worked. So I stopped. I had no choice.

"Why... why did your mother leave?" Ooh, we're on thin ice here. Bella doesn't look mad or that sad though. She only sighs.

"It's a long story. The fact is, she isn't here right now." I should probably leave it at that. The problem is though, I know two women called Rosalie and Alice. When they don't want to talk about something, there is no doubt that they don't. This isn't the case with Bella.

"I have nothing but time." The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. They apparently make Bella sigh again.

"Well, it all goes back to my father. My mother met him while she was visiting America. They met a few times, my father broke it off quite brutally, by getting engaged with some other woman. My mum came back to England, to find that she was pregnant. She got disowned by her family, my father cut all the ties... but recently, my mum has been... behaving a little weird. I didn't know what it was, until one day, a few weeks ago, she left, leaving a note that said she was going to find my father. I don't know if it's true. I haven't seen her, or heard from her since."

Well, that explains... a lot.

"I'm sorry." I really mean it when I say it. Bella shrugs her shoulders, and doesn't speak again. The silence becomes awkward, and I feel like I should say something.

"Well, you're welcome to stay here as long as you like. You don't need to work, its fine. If you want to though... well, I don't know. Give me time. I'll talk to some people, see if we can find you something."

I feel so much compassion for the poor, young mother who was obviously getting abandoned left, right and centre. Speaking of which...

"Bella," I should ask about the baby's father. Or should I? Is it really my place to ask? No. "Never mind." I'll think of something, of some solution for Bella. "Do you have any qualifications? That'll help in finding you a job." I was set on helping her out.

She bites her lip. "Well, I didn't go to uni or anything... I finished collage, with A-levels in literature, travel and tourism and business. I don't know if you can do much with that."

Alice! Alice could help—especially if Bella had some experience in business. Well, I at least I could ask her.

"But, Edward?" Bella tenses a little again, and straightens her back. "Well, the question remains. How long can I stay here with you? I really need to know. Laugh at me of you'd like, but I really, I need to predict the future the best that I can right now, to manage it."

Poor thing has such a load on her shoulders right now, so much responsibility. But how to give her a definite answer when all I want to say is that she can stay as long as she likes?

"Bella, plan your future here, don't worry about me kicking you out. I won't. if you need help with anything, you can just tell me. Okay?"

She started into my eyes for a long moment before nodding her head.

"Okay, Edward, thank you." She looks down and blushes again and looks down, and it makes her look so... adorable.

It's quiet. In the end, I assume that Bella is finished and reach for the remote to turn on the TV. I would be more comfortable in sweats that I am in my suit, but I like sitting here with Bella so I don't move.

There is nothing interesting on. I switch for channel to channel, stopping each time and watching Bella out of the corner of my eye, to see if anything gets her interest. Nothing seems to.

Suddenly, she gets up, and moves to the door, just as I turn to a channel where 'Teen Mom' is currently on.

"Masen's crying," Bella explains as I turn to look at her. I can't hear anything, but I guess it's her mother instincts. That's not why I stop her though.

"Bella, how old are you?"

She looks surprised, but answers all the same.

"Twenty one." Phew, she's okay. I can tell Alice that now. Bella is not underage.

"Okay, that's good." I settle back on the couch.

"Umm... can I go now?" shit, Bella's still here. Is she waiting for me to dismiss her?

"Yes, of course. You don't need to ask permission, Bella." I hear the door close. Bella's gone. I contemplate calling Alice and telling her what happened, but then I decide against it. I watch with interest as the irresponsible teenagers move around the TV screen with their screaming little brats and their foolish boyfriends, and wonder how I could have thought that Bella was one of them.

**Hey! Sorry for the long break in writing, but I actually have a good excuse. There is so much studying to do, it's only really hitting me now. I have lots and lots of exams soon, which, really, decide the curse of my whole future. Even the mock exams count; did you know that sixth forms look at those results too? My friend got rejected from the school she really wanted to go to, just because of that. So there's a lot of pressure, and I spend almost all my time revising in one way or another. So, yeah. I apologize anyway. **

**So, how was this chapter, huh? We definitely found out about more about Bella... what do you think about her? I hope you don't think that this was a filler too. The story will get more interesting in a few chapters, when more of the story unravels... I already planned some of it;) **

**Please, please review. It means so much. **

**I don't know when I'll be able to write the next chapter, but I really wouldn't be surprised if it will only be in June. As I said, I have a tight schedule. And I suck at maths. And it's really hard to find a tutor who will have the time to teach me. So my dad helps me instead. He apparently studied physics at uni before he got kicked off the course. But it really doesn't show. **

**And I don't know why I told you that. I'm just so tired... Sorry for the numerous mistakes that I'm sure I missed out when proof-reading. Please review.**

**Ami-J**


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